Machine or apparatus for threading buttons on to a wire or wires or the equivalent



June 11, 1935. v. J. CLARKSON MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR THREADING BUTTONS ON TO A WIRE OR WIRES OR THE EQUIVALENT ,Filed March 31, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I me /J 10W 4%) June 11., 1935. E v. J. CLARKSON. 2,004,464

. MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR THREADING BUTTONS ON TO A WIRE OR WIRES OR THE EQUIVALENT Filed March 51, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1935 4 7 I a I UNITED STATES PA1 -NT 1 OFFICE BUTTONS ON TO A WIRE' R WIRES THE EQUIVALENT I 1' Vincent Josephjclarksonnfieeds, England I Application March 31, 1934; Serial No; 718,527 a I I I In Great Britain April-6, 1933' I ui I p Y '1l Claims. "(01. 23-44) .I p p This invention-relates tomachines or apparatus 'a ratchet ring 6 working uponthe base plate or: for threading buttons on to a wire or wires or the table II of the: apparatus about a centre bearing equivalent more particularly for packing purpiece 8. h'Ihe ratchet ring 6' is intermittently acposes, said wire or wires or the equivalent being mated by a pawl 9' and spring-connected lever isubstantially rigid and adapted to serveas a but- III which is operated by. a cam I I on a camshaft 5 ton holding device or to constitute a guide or I: IZbelow thetable'l said shaft IZbeing mounted guides for delivering the buttons on to-a flexible I in bearings l3 and: driven through the medium of wire or wires or the equivalent. i I apulley I4; In this way the ring 6 is moved According to the invention the buttons are ied round step by step to bring-the buttons I in turn lo singly into a pocket or die, the base of which is into register with a'pooket or die t5 atthe thread- 10 45 view the threading of buttons on to flexible wires.

constituted by the upper one of two sets or'pairs ingpositiori in the-tablew'l and theleve'r ID with .I of superposed slides or shutters which alternately its pawl I I is returned ready foreach'succ'essive co-operate with the upper end or ends of the stroke by means ofa lever 'I Ba operated by' acam substantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent I1 onthe shaftIZ and pivoted a bracket I8 I I to retain it or them in position to' receive the fixed to the underside of the-table It, said lever 15 buttons from said pocket or die. The arrange it projectin upwa dly I hrou h a hole at H! ment would preferably be such thatIonly one set formed through the table I' and centre piece bearor pair of slides or shutters is open at a time, and ing 8. I I I l 1 I during each closed period of the upper set or pair :The base'of the" pocket o'r: die I5 is: afforded ef slides or shutters the button supported thereby by an upper pair of shutters 20 slidable toward 26 would be correctly located or positioned with one andaway from each other in guides 2| secured or more of its holes in register with the upper end to the underside of; the table 5.1, and said upper or ends of the substantially rigid wire or wires F pair of" shutters 20 whichazre adapted to grip ready to be dropped thereonto when said upper or engage the upper" ends of La ri'gidwire or rigid H shutters are opened. In this connection each wires 22' flushfwiththeir' upper surface, are "en- 25 button when in the pocket or die may be correctly gaged through pinl'andslot mechanisms 23" with located or positioned with respect to the upper operating levers fl whichare connected together end or ends of the substantially rigid wire or by a linlr 25 andpositivelyoperated against the wires by means of a rotary positioning headof action of a spring 26uby means of a cam 21 on 30 the kind having pins which engage the holes in the the shaft 12 engaging 2; depending portion of one "3 button and rotate the latter so as to bring said of'said levers 24; I I holes into predetermined positions. I a I At ap-shortdistance below the shutters 20 is In order that the invention maybe clearly uncarried on depending studs 128' a; guide 29*for a derstood and readily carried into effect, the same I lower" pair of shutters!!! which are also adapted I will now be more fully described with; reference I to grip or Vco-operatewith the wire or wires 22- to and by the aid of the Iembodimen'tillustrated Iand'tobeoperated insimilar manner to the upper in the accompanying drawings; wherein:- pair of shutters 20 by means of pin and slot mech- Fi ures 1, 2 an 3 a r p tiv ly afrontelevaanisms s L levers 32', link 33, and a cam 3401i i pl a d p t in l of the button the shaft 12 against the action of arspring 35. ihrsadmgapparatusi l At or above theIthreading position is a rbtat- Figure 4 is a fragmentaryview illustrating the bl a 36 having depending p a g f f buttons 9 9 b h l ingIthe h o les m mebutton in the pocketordie.

f I5,1and' said head 36 is rota'ttably carried inthe Flgure 5 ilustrates in a similar fragmentary free of a; lever pivoted in a bracket 38 01145 M Figure 6 is a front elevation of the rotarybut- E sideof the;tab1e 7 n bpeIjateQWgainSt ton hopper associated with the upper end of the Ion of Sprmg 3a connecting to the chute which feeds the buttons to the threading tablflnby means a cam 40 the Shaft I appammm operating throughthe hole I9, 831d lever 31 be Referring to the drawings; the buttons .1 are s guided ve c by brackets 4| fixedto the delivered from a rotary hopper 2 and associated centre p e The t 250f 'the head 39 circular fence 3 by way of a pivoted and Spring- I projects through the free end of the lever 31 and' controlled outlet gate 3 to Ia chute d which =dehas fixed on its upper end a crosshead 43 one livers the said buttons I in turn eachinto one-pf end of which is connected by a spring 44 to the an annular series oficircular holes 5 afforded in lever 31" at/its pivot end,and the other end of said orosshead 43 is connected by a link 45 to the upper end of the lever IS.

The cam shaft I2 is fitted with a loose pulley 46 in addition to the fixed driving pulley I4, whilst an anchored leaf spring 41 on the table I rides over and snaps into the teeth of the ratchet ring 5 at each operation to prevent any return movement of said ring 6.

In Figure 4 the button holder is in the form of a rigid wire 22 bent upon itself in the form of a U, the bottom or bend of the U-shaped wire holder being supported in a cup-shaped depression or slot in a fixed block 48 the requisite distance below the upper shutters 29.

In Figure 5 a pair of rigid wires 22 are mounted in parallel relationship in a block or supporting clamp 49 which also serves as'a stop for the buttons I received thereon in pile formation, and said wires 22 have eyes at 50 through which are threaded the opposite ends of a fine flexible wire, cotton, or thread 5| upon which the pile of buttons I collected on the wires above the stop 49 can be allowed to fall upon removing the said stop 49. In this connection once the pile of buttons I has been dropped on to the wire or the like 5|, the stop can be immediately re-applied to the wires 22 so that threading and piling up of buttons I can proceed whilst the wire or the like 5| is removed from the eyes 50 and its ends tied together to secure the buttons I which have been received thereon. Instead of eyes, hooked ends may be employed.

Assuming the parts to be in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 with both pairs of shutters 20 and 3!! closed or together and a button I resting upon the upper pair of shutters'ZO in the pocket or die l5 and also one threaded upon the upper ends of the wire or wires 22 and resting upon the bottom pair of shutters 30, the rotary head 36 descendsupon the button I in'the' pocket or die I5 through the action of the cam 40 allowing" the spring 39 to pull'the lever 31 downso that the head bears resiliently upon the button I in the die I5. During the descent of the head 36, the cam 34 operates the lower pair'of shutters 30 so as to move them apart (as shown in Figure'3) to allow the button I resting upon said shutters 30 to fall down the wire or wires 22 on to the pile already threaded thereon. During the continued rotation of the cam shaft I2 the lower pair of shutters 30 close under the action of their spring 35 so as to again grip or cooperate with the wire or wires 22, and whilst this is taking place the head '36 is rotated by the cam II, lever I6, and link 45, so as to cause its pins to engage or snap into the holes in the button I in the pocket or die I5, under the action of the spring 39, and rotate said button I to a predetermined position in which certain of its holes are in register with the ends of the wire or Wires 22 below. During the rotation of the head 36 to position the buttonsl in the pocket or die I5 in relation to the wire or wires 22,-the lever I6 operates the pawl lever I so as to bring the pawl into engagement with the next tooth of the ratchet ring 6 ready for the next feeding operation. Further continued rotation of the camshaft I 2 causes the cam 21 to open or move apart the upper pair of shutters 20 so as to allow the button I in the pocket or die I to fall over the ends of the wire or wires 22 and down on to the bottom pair of shutters30.

When the upper pair of shutters 20 have moved apart the cam 49 raises the lever 31 to lift the head 36 clear of the ring 6, whereupon the cam II operates the lever III and pawl 9 to rotate the ratchet ring 6 another step and bring another button I into the pocket or die I5. During this movement the spring 44 comes into action to return or rotate the head 36 into its original position. This completes the cycle .of operations which takes place every complete revolution of the cam shaft 12. 3

When U-shaped button holders are employed these would be removed and substituted as they became loaded with the requisite number of buttons, the machine or apparatus being stopped during the changing of the holders. Where flexible wires are employed as holders and the rigid wires 22 serve merely as guides, the machine .or apparatus may be run continuously.

The chute 4 may have associated therewith an intermittently actuated control gate whereby the but-tonsupply is regulated in accordance with the operation of the rotary positioning head, or the button feed may be effected by gravity only as shown.

Machines or apparatus as above described may be arranged in a battery or bank side by side and 1 may be operated from a common power driven shaft, and one feed hopper may supply two or more machines, whilst the whole battery of say four or six machines may be under the care of a single operative. In this connection the operatives duties would be to remove the wires loaded with. buttons and to substitute therefor fresh wherein the buttons are fed singly into a pocket" or die the base of which is constituted by the upper one of two sets or pairs of superposed slides or shutters which alternately co-operate with the upper end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the buttons from said pocket or die.

2. A machine or apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only one set or pair of shutters is open at a time, and during each closed period of the upper set or pair of shutters the button supported thereby is correctly located or positioned with certain of its holes in register with the upper end or ends of the substantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent ready to be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened.

3. A machine or apparatus for threading buttons on to a wire, or wires or the equivalent, wherein the buttons are fed singly into apocket or die the base of which is constituted by the .upper one of two sets or pairs of superposed slides or shutters which alternately cooperate with the upper end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the'buttons from said pocket or die, only one set or pair of shutters being open at a time, and during each closed period of the upper set or pair of shutters the button supported thereby is correctly located or positioned with certain of its holes inregister with the upper end or ends of the substantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent ready to' be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened, each button when in the pocket or die being correctly located or positioned with respect to the upper end or ends of equivalent engaged or equivalent by means of a rotary positioning head of the substantially rigid wire or wires or the the kind having pins which engage the holes in the button and rotate the latter so as to bring said holes into predetermined positions in register with the substantially rigid wire or wires or the gripped between the upper shutters.

L, A machine or apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substantially rigid wire or wires or theequivalent is or are adapted to serve as a in the buttons are fed singly into a pocket or die the base or" which is constituted by the upper one of two sets or pairs of superposed slidesorshutters which alternately cooperate with the upper end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the buttons from said pocket or die, only one set or pair of shutters being open at a time, and during each closed period of the upper set or pair of shutters the button supported thereby is correct- 1y located or. positioned with certain of its holes in register with the upper end or ends of the substantially rigid wire or wires or'the equivalent ready to be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened, each button when in the pocket or die being correctly located or positioned with respect to the upper end or ends of thesubstantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent by means of a rotary positioning head of the kind having pins which engage the holes in the button and rotate the latter so as to bring said holes into predetermined positions in register'with the substantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent engaged or gripped between the upper shutters, thesubstantially rigid wire or wires orthe equivalent being adapted to serve as guides down which the but tons fall so as to be threaded onto a flexible wire or wires or the equivalent, the substantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent being formed with eyes for. attachment of the flexible wire or wires or the equivalent. I

7. A machine or apparatus for threading buttons on to a wire or wires or the equivalent, wherein the buttons are fed singly into a pocket or die the base of which is constituted by the upper one of two sets or pairs of superposed slides or shutters which alternately cooperate with the upper end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the buttons from said pocket or die, only one set or pair of shutters being open at a time, and during each closed period of the upper set or pair of shutters the button supported thereby is correctly located or positioned with certain of its holes in register with the upper end or ends of the sub-. stantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent ready to be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened, the shutters being operated or opened against the action of springs through the medium of cam-actuated lever mechanisms arranged to operate said shutters alternately and togive the necessaryrest periods or dwells to allow for supporting of the buttons upon the shutters during the hole positioning operation.

8. A machine or apparatus according to claim '7, wherein the positioning head is rotated bya cam-actuated lever and link mechanism, and in which said positioning head is carried by a lever which is raised intermittently by a cam against the action of a spring.

9.. A machine or apparatus accordingto claim 7, wherein the buttons are fed in turn to the pocket or die by means of a cam ratchet wheel operated by a cam-actuated lever and pawl.

10. A machine or apparatus for threading buttons on to a wire or wires or the equivalent, wherein the buttons are fed singly into a pocket or die the base of which is constituted by the upper one.

of two sets or pairs of superposed slides or shutters which alternately cooperate with the upper 1 end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the buttons from said pocket or die, only one set or pair of shutters being open at a time, and during each closed period of the upper set or pair of shutters the button supported thereby is correctly located or positioned with certain of its holes in register with theupper end or ends of the sub-.

stantially rigid wire or wires or the equivalent ready to be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened, the shutters beingoperated or opened against the action of springs through the medium of cam actuated lever mechanisms arranged to operate said shutters alternately and to give the necessary rest periods or dwellsto allow for supporting of the buttons upon the shutters during the hole positioning operation, the positioning head being rotated by a cam-actuated lever and link mechanism, said positioning head being carried by a lever which is raised intermittently by a cam against the action of aspring, the buttons being fed in turn to the pocket or die by means of a cam ratchet wheel operated by a cam actuated lever and'pawl, all the cams being mounted upon a common shaft.

11. A machine or apparatus for threading buttons on to a wire or wires or the equivalent, where in the buttons are fed singly into a pocket or die the baseof which is constituted by the upper one v of two sets or pairs of superposed slides or shutters which alternately cooperate with the upper end or ends of the wire or wires or the equivalent to retain it or them in position to receive the buttons from said pocket or die, only one set or pair of shutters being open at a time, and during each closed period of the upperset or pair of shutters the button supported thereby iscorrectly located or positioned with certain ofits holes in register with the upper end or ends of the substantially rigid wire or wires )or the equivalent ready to be dropped thereonto when said shutters are opened, the shutters being operated or opened against the action of springs through the medium of cam-actuated lever mechanisms arrangedto operate said shutters alternately and to give the necessary rest periods or dwells to allow for supporting of the buttons upon the shutters during the hole positioning operation, the buttons being fed in turn to the pocket or die by means of a cam ratchet wheel operated by a cam-actuated lever and pawl, the buttons being fed to the ratchet wheel by a chute from a rotary feed hopper having an associated spring controlled gate to regulate the button supply.

VINCENT JOSEPH CLARKSONQ 

